This application claims the benefit of Japanese Application No. 2001-282431, filed Sep. 17, 2001, in the Japanese Patent Office, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a toner cartridge and an electrophotographic apparatus adopting the same, and more particularly, to a toner cartridge in which a structure to supply new toner and a structure to contain waste toner are improved, and an electrophotographic apparatus adopting the same
2. Description of the Related Art
In general, an electrophotographic apparatus forms an image on a recording medium by attaching toner powder to a surface of an object, such as a photoreceptor where an electrostatic latent image is formed, and transferring the toner powder from the surface of the object to the recording medium. Also, unnecessary toner attached to the surface of the object is collected as waste toner.
Typically, as a method of supplying toner to the electrophotographic apparatus, there are a method of directly supplying toner from an outside of the electrophotographic apparatus and a method of replacing a toner cartridge by removing an old toner cartridge from a main body of the electrophotographic apparatus and installing a new one in the electrophotographic apparatus.
FIGS. 1A through 1C show a conventional toner cartridge used in a cartridge replacement type electrophotographic apparatus. Referring to FIG. 1A, a toner cartridge 70 has a new toner containing portion 71 as a space for containing new toner and a waste toner containing portion 72 as a space for containing waste toner. A supply hole 73 through which the new toner is supplied to an outside of the toner cartridge 70 is installed in the new toner containing portion 71. A receiving hole 74 through which the waste toner is received from the outside of the toner cartridge 70 is installed in the waste toner containing portion 72.
Also, open/shut mechanisms 75 and 76 are installed at the supply hole 73 and the receiving hole 74, respectively, in order to prevent contamination by the toner during replacement of the toner cartridge 70. FIG. 1B shows the open/shut mechanism 75 installed at the supply hole 73. FIG. 1C shows the open/shut mechanism 76 installed at the receiving hole 74.
For example, the open/shut mechanism 75 of FIG. 1B opens and shuts the supply hole 73 by moving a shutter member 77 in a circumferential direction of a plane of the open/shut mechanism 75. The open/shut mechanism 76 of FIG. 1C opens and shuts the receiving hole 74 by moving a shutter member 79 connected to a metal spring member 78 to slide linearly along a plane of the open/shut mechanism 76.
The conventional apparatus having the above structure has a complicated structure so that a manufacturing cost increases, and replacement of the toner cartridge becomes inconvenient and difficult. Accordingly, the toner cartridge and the electrographic apparatus which are cheap and provide convenience in replacement are needed.
To solve the above and other problems, it is an object of the present invention to provide a toner cartridge which is cheap and easy to be replaced, and an electrophotographic apparatus adopting the same.
To achieve an aspect of the invention, there is provided a toner cartridge which is detachably loaded in a predetermined loading portion and has a new toner containing space where new toner is contained, and a waste toner containing space where waste toner is contained, the toner cartridge comprising a supply hole supplying the new toner to an outside of the toner cartridge and a receiving hole receiving the waste toner from the outside of the toner cartridge, which are installed in a predetermined position of a main body of the toner cartridge. The toner cartridge further comprises an open and shut mechanism opening and shutting the supply hole and the receiving hole using a single shutter.
It is possible in the present invention that the open and shut mechanism opens and shuts the supply hole and the receiving hole by operating the shutter in response to an engagement with the loading portion during installation and detaching operations with respect to the loading portion, and that the open and shut mechanism comprises a driven portion installed on the shutter and a guide groove formed in the loading portion so that the driven portion moves along the guide groove when the toner cartridge is installed in or detached from the loading portion, to guide a movement of the shutter through the driven portion.
It is possible in the present invention that all elements constituting the open and shut mechanism are formed of resin.
It is possible in the present invention that the toner cartridge further comprises at least one of a first transfer unit transferring the new toner from the new toner containing space to the supply hole and a second transfer unit transferring the waste toner from the receiving hole to the waste toner containing space.
To achieve another aspect of the present invention, there is provided an electrophotographic apparatus for forming an image on a recording medium by attaching toner to a photoreceptive body where an electrostatic latent image is formed, and transferring the toner to the recording medium from the photoreceptive body. The electrophotographic apparatus comprises a loading portion where the toner cartridge is detachably installed, wherein the toner cartridge comprises a new toner containing space where new toner is contained, a waste toner containing space where waste toner is contained, a supply hole supplying new toner to an outside of the toner cartridge and a receiving hole receiving waste toner from the outside of the toner cartridge, which are installed in a predetermined position of a main body of the toner cartridge, and an open and shut mechanism opening and shutting the supply hole and the receiving hole using a single shutter.